Freight car seal



July 5, 1932.

c. K. GOSCHNICK FREIGHT CAR S EAL Filed June 24. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

I nveinlor I Cazherz na /l Gosc/zmb/r By m flllomey i 1932- c. K. GOSCHNICK 198569461 FREIGHT CAR SEAL Filed June 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenlor Patented July 5, 1932 {UNITED STATES CATHERINE K. eoscnmcx, or roar HURON, MICHIGAN FREIGHT can SEAL .Application filed une 24, 1931. Serial no, 546,644.

This invention relates to freight car seals and has for its primary object to provide,.in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of .this' character embodying a novel construction, combination "and arrangement of parts whereby the same cannot be opened Without detection and without damaging the seal to the extent of rendering the same unfit or incapable of further use. Other objects of the invention are to provide a freight car seal of the character described which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, efficient and reliable in use and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still'further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,and wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a seal in accordance with this invention in open position.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the seal showing the same closed.

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of the seal.-

Figure 4 is a .view in cross section taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the seal in closed position.

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially on the line 77. of Figure arrows. g

Figure 8 is a detail view in verticalcross section taken substantiallyon the line 88 of Figure 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 9 is a detail view in perspective of ,the strap, showing the same in open or extended position. I p Figure 10 is a detail view in perspective of 'the operating member,

l 6 looking downwardly, as indicated by the.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 7 it will be seen that the freight car seal consituting the present invention'comprises a casing designated generally by the reference numeral 1,said casing including a substantially inverted cup-shaped'body portion 2 having permanently secured to its open :end by any suitable means a closure plate 3. A lip 4 is struck inwardly from one side of the body '2 of'the casing 1' providing an opening 5.

The reference numeral 6 designates a resilient, metallic sealing strap having one end portion permanently disposed inthe casing 1, said end portion of the strap being tempered. Said one end portion of the strap 6 is provided with a downwardly bent portion 7 which is disposed at an acute angle and which merges with an upwardly bowed portion8 having an opening 9 therein at its uppermost point. The material from the strap 6 forming the 'opening9 is struck downwardlyin a manner to provide the resilient, converging keeper flanges 10 for a purpose to be presently set forth. Also formed integrally with the bowedportions 8 is a pair of guides 11 the major portions of which arefree of the strap and extend into the opening 5 for a purpose which will also be presently setforth.

The bowed portion 8 of the strap 6, in turn, merges with a normally arcuate free end portion 12 which terminates in a reduced tongue 13 A headed shank 14 is struck downwardly from the arcuate end portion 12 of the strap 6. The lip 4 is provided with an opening ea 15 for the passage of the tongue 13. i The strap 6 is adapted to be bent upon itself in a manner to define substantially a loop, the other end. portion ofthe strap being insertable in the casing 1 also through the opening 5. Said other end. portion of the strap 6 I is provided with an opening 16 for alignment with the opening 15 and for the reception of the tongue 13. Said otherend portion of the strap 6 is further provided with a comparatively large opening 17 for alignment with the opening 9 and for the'passage of the headed shank 14. 4

A plunger 18 is disposed for reciprocation in an'opening provided therefor centrally in the upper end of the body portion 2 of the casing 1 and fixed on the inner end of said plunger for reciprocation in the casing 1 is a disk 19. The disk 19 is operatively engageable with the arcuate end portion 12 of the strap 6 for depressing said end portion.

The device is assembled by inserting the unbent end of the strap 6 in the cup-shaped portion 2 of the casing l and projecting the strap outwardly through the opening 5 before the closure plate 3 is securedtothe portion 2: Oi course, the'disk 19 and the plunger 18 are first positioned in the casing. The closure plate 3 is then secured in position and the device is ready for use.

7 In use, thestrap 6 is bent uponitself and the free end portion thereofis insertedin the casing 1 through the opening 5. Said free end portion of the strap 6 is retained against lateral movementin the casing by theguides 11.. The openings 16 and 17 are so spaced from the inner end of the strap 6 that when said free end abuts the lower portion of the arcuate ortion 12 of the strap, said openings 16 and 1 will be in alignment with the openings 9 and respectively. The plunger. 18 is then pressed and, through the medium of the disk'19,'the arcuate portion 12 is bent downwardly to project the tongue 13 through thealigned openings 15 and 16 and toproject the headed Shank 14 through the aligned openings 17 and 9. This operation flattens the major portion of the arcuate portion 12 of thestrap, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 6 of. the drawings. \Vhen the headed shank 14 is driven through the opening 9, the keeper flanges 10 engage the head of said shank and the sealingoperation has been completed. The tongue 13 will prevent the insertion of instruments in the casing through the opening 5.for tampering with the shank .14

and the guides 11 willalso assist in frustratiug any attempt to open the seal in this manner. Also, the disk 19 will prevent tampering withthe locking mechanism of the seal from the upper end of the casing 1. a

It is believedthat the many advantages of .a freight car seal constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope -of the invention as claimed. l What is claimed is l. A seal comprising a casing lhavingan opening therein, a resilient strap having one 'endportion extending through the opening and permanently secured in the casing, said one end portion including a'bowed portion merging with a normally arcuate free end ortion, keeper flanges struck out from the owed portion defining an. opening therein,

shank for retaining said shank in operative position, and means in the casing for operatively engaging the headed shank with the '2. 'A seal comprising a casing having an opening therein, a resilient strap having one end portion extending through the opening andperinanently secured inthe casing, said .one end, portlon including a bowed portion merging with a normally arcuate free end portion, keeper flanges struck out from the bowed portion defining an openlng therein,

.a headedshank struck out from the arcuate free end portion for engagement in the open- ,ing, the other end portion or the strap being ..1nsertable 1n the casing through the opening n said vcaslngandhavlng an opening therein for. alignment with the opening in the bowed portion and for the passage of the headed shankfor anchoring said other end portion of the strap in the casing, the keeper flanges being engageable with the head on the shank for retaining said shank in operative position, and means for shifting the arcuate free end portion'to its operative position, said means comprising a manually operable plunger extending slidably into the casing, and a disk fixed on the inner end of the plunger engaged w th said arcuate free end portion.

v3. A seal comprising a casing having an inwardly struck apertured lip providing. an opening in the casing, a flexible sealing strap having one end portion extending into the casing through the opening therein and permanently disposed in said casing, said one end portion having an opening therein .and including an arcuate free end portion,

guides formed integrally with said one end portion of the strap and extending into the opening in ..the casing, the other end portion of the strap being insertable through the opening. in the casing between the guides and having an opening therein for registry with the first named opening in the strap, said other end portion of the strap further having another opening therein for registry with the opening in the lip, a headed shank on the arcuate freeend portion engageable in the first named aligned openings, a tongue on theftree'end of the arcuate free end portion of the strap engageable in the second named aligned openings, and means for actuating said arcuate free'end portion for engaging the headed shank and the tongue in their respective openings.

4. A seal comprising a casing having an opening therein, a flexible strap having one end portion extending into the casing through the opening and anchored therein, said one end portion of the strap having an opening therein, said one end portion of the strap terminating in a resilient arm, guides mounted on said one end portion of the strap adjacent opposite sides of the opening, the other end portion of the strap being insertable in the casing and having an opening therein for alignment with the first named opening, said other end portion of the strap being operable between the guides, a headed shank on the resilient free end portion of the strap engageable through the aligned openings for anchoring said other end portion of the strap in the casing, and means in the casing for engaging the shank in the aligned openings.

5. A seal comprising a casing having an opening therein, a flexible strap having one end portion extending into the casing through the opening and anchored therein, said one end portion of the strap having an opening therein, said one end portion of the strap terminatingina resilient arm, guides mounted on said one end portion of the strap adjacent opposite sides of the opening, the other end portion of the strap being insertable in the casing and having an opening therein for registry with the first named opening, said other end portion of the strap being operable between the guides, a headed shank on the resilient free end portion of the strap engageable through the openings for anchoring said other end portion of the strap in the casing, a disk mounted for reciprocation in the casing and operatively engageable with the arcuate flexible end portion, and a plunger fixed to the disk and extending slidably through the casing for man- I ual actuation.

6. A seal comprising a casing, a strap having one end anchored in the casing, an apertured lip in the casing, the other end portion of the strap being insertable in the casing and having an aperture therein for registry with the aperture in the lip, a tongue on said one end of the strap engageable in the registering apertures for anchoring said other end portion of the strap in the casing, and means for retaining the tongue in operative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CATHERINE K. GOSCHNICK. 

